THE JALEBI CHRONICLEShttps://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com
Sweet Circles, Straight TalkThu, 08 Mar 2018 07:56:58 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngTHE JALEBI CHRONICLEShttps://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com
“Bhakti in Politics”https://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/bhakti-in-politics/
https://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/bhakti-in-politics/#respondSun, 09 Feb 2014 06:18:02 +0000http://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/?p=1211Continue reading]]>“In India, ‘Bhakti’ or what may be called the path of devotion or hero-worship plays a part in politics unequalled in magnitude by the part it plays in the politics of any other world. ‘Bhakti’ in religion maybe a road to salvation of the soul. But in politics, ‘Bhakti’ or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship.”
– Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

Pay heed to these words that Babasaheb prophesies to his brethren as he postulates the three threats to Indian democracy – the grammar of anarchy, a purepolitical democracy and the dogmatic dilemma of bhakti in politics. What sort of fear did Babasaheb wish to invoke to caution us about the elements of trust and faith? What leads citizens of a system to establish one parallel wrathful cult? What made Babasaheb turn his attention towards the context of bhakti remains a mystery. I continued to fathom over his satanic verse and finally, it all made sense.

“In God we trust”, a motto embedded into every element which values in the United States since its inception. Who is this God? And they all said, “Lord Almighty, of course”. Silence prevailed. I however, agreed to disagree.

Through the oculus of the unseen, in the rotunda of the United States Capitol, lies Brimidi’s fresco of The Apotheosis of Washington, veneration of the father.

Apotheosis – where man turns God, divination.

Mystified subjects worshiped Washington; the usual bhakti, unusual bhakts. However, the utmost peculiar element within this majestic fresco is that Washington lays besides his subjects and not above, and yet Brimidi’s brilliance depicts him to be a divine being. Above the founding father lay the words e pluribus unum, which means ‘out of the many, one’.

Supreme, yet one of the many.Questions plenty, but just one answer to it all.

It was democracy.

India as a nation fails to construct every other form of governance except for democracy, where it continues to stabilize its political, social and economic equilibrium, aiming to recognize and permanently establish its three most basic principles – liberty, equality and fraternity. Fail to sustain, and the consequences may be severe to a height where our freedom remains at stake. The key to form a constructive system is to fathom over the difference between social and political democracy.

Funny to conclude that India scores 7.52 on the democracy index, which means India as a nation yet remains a flawed democracy. Lee Hypothesis suggests that an authoritarian power in Asian countries nurtures an economy much better than that of a democratic setup. I however, deny to agree.

The term ‘demos’ denotes people, while ‘kratos’ means rule or regime. Babasaheb denotes the phrase ‘eventual dictatorship’ orautocracy, where bhakti surely acts as a catalyst. What role does bhakti play which gives rise to a potential autocrat within democracy?

What makes demos evolve into autos?

When the air sensed the rise of a nation to be built upon laws and dogmas, Babasaheb broke his silence within the four corners of the Constituent Assembly on the 26th of November, 1949. He quotes John Stuart Mill’s words, it says

“People can be induced to lay their liberties at the feet even of a great man, or trust him with powers which enable him to subvert their institutions; in all these cases they are more or less unfit for liberty.”

26 years later, India witnessed Mill’s words – The Emergency. Indira Gandhi was, is and continues to remain India’s most insecure dictator. But what made her evolve from demos to autos which led world’s largest democracy transform into eventual dictatorship which lasted for a year and a half?

Indira was a power-addict, yet the finest among all.

“People can be induced to lay their liberties at the feet even of a great man” She won the hearts of all when she enchanted out “garibi hatao” during her electoral campaigns of ‘71. If someone was to be blamed, it were us. Social agendas were surely considered but futile promises for a better economy were not. Indira as a leader, failed to sustain the inflationary crisis which rulers worldwide faced at the time. Jayaprakash Narayan was undoubtedly professing the potentiality of ‘anarchism’ via his sampoorna kranti (Total Revolution) campaign.

Unique elements to observe.
One, the rise of anarchy which aims to subvert pseudo-democracy.
Second, Babasaheb prophesied that the concept of total revolution would utterly fail. Even a mere rise of the concept of constructive revolution would drift democracy from its sustaining equilibrium.

“or trust him with powers which enable him to subvert their institutions”Corrupt practices by the party in charge came to surface when she’d been found guilty of attaining power via electoral malpractices. On the 12th of June, 1975, the High Court of Allahabad ordered her to be removed from her seat in Parliament and banned from running elections for six years.

She never wished for the Emergency, but she was forced to do so. And so led to the birth of Indira’s dictatorial India which went over for 18 months and beyond, India’s “blackest hours” in history. She rose and eventually had a drastic fall; rose again and finally the reaper embraced her.

Bhakti’s mystery continued to mystify me. And an image shaped its way, it was nonetheless, Balasaheb Thackeray.

Balasaheb perplexes them all who search out for the key of what it makes to be Bal Thackeray. Emperor of the Hindu Hearts and founder of the Marathi chauvinistic organization Shiv Sena, Balasaheb could be considered nationalistic from the outside yet ethnocentric within. A fearless xenophobe and possibly one of the finest orators of all among the Marathi brotherhood, Thackeray continues to be a dictator with complexion.

But what made Balasaheb evolve from demos to autos?

Balasaheb’s charisma is what mesmerizes his eternal devotees. Sainiks pay their respect, loyalty and love in the form of devotional obedience. When Balasaheb coughs, his sainiks uproar. Bhakti gave rise to a parallel regime governed by Balasaheb and his children, the sainiks. Shakas is to Balasaheb what the church is to the Pope. Like it has been said, Thackeray was a dictator with complexion. The political concept which laid back into Balasaheb’s mind was that in order to “get things done”, democracy will fail. It’s here where the need for a benign dictator comes into light, it’s here where Balasaheb played his move as he enters into the game of counter-politics and parallel governance.

Pro-monarchist, anti-anarchist. Balasaheb built the Shiv Sena over the ideologies of Shivshani, which terms the monarchic rule of Shiavji Maharaj.

Bhakti has undoubtedly played a role in the rise of Balasaheb as an autocratic. Benign autocracy was never his game, although he assumed to be one. Fear invoked into every heart which did not meet the needs to be a part of the ethnocentrism. His notorious acts through his sainiks justifies Ambedkar’s postulate, “Bhakti in religion maybe a road to salvation of the soul. But in politics, ‘Bhakti’ or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship.”

Bhakti may be benign, or may not. But the key to great governance lies to differentiate a line between fundamentalism and extremism, and it is indeed bhakti what acts as a catalyst to its evolution. For Christ was a savior, Muhammad a prophet and Gandhi a humble-God but in the end, they were all just men.

– Achilles Rasquinha

DISCLAIMER:- The views presented in this article represent the views of the writer alone and not the others in general.

]]>https://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/bhakti-in-politics/feed/0thejalebichroniclesDr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar - 1946WashingtonIndiraBalasaheb10 Indian Blogs You must Followhttps://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/2014/01/22/10-indian-blogs-you-must-follow/
https://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/2014/01/22/10-indian-blogs-you-must-follow/#commentsWed, 22 Jan 2014 11:42:17 +0000http://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/?p=1148Continue reading]]>1. Ashish Shakya – If the ‘Speaking Tree’ had a sarcastic doppelganger, Ashish Shakya’s blog would make the cut. In his blog, the brilliant Shakya renders India in the most satirical yet real way as possible- a treat to the eye and an ache in the belly. From movie reviews that have you in peals of laughter to the dystopian political scenario, this is one potpourri you wouldn’t want to miss!

2. Fuss – Rhea Gupte’s Fuss- Fashion Unzipped is one of the most niche fashion blogs of the country. On-trend, fashionable, visually enticing and experimental to the ‘T,’it doesn’t take more than a click to get hooked onto this magical fashion-topia called FUSS. -Look out for: Rhea Gupte. Not only does she have an enviable sense of style but the girl is also a stunner.

– What started off as a causal stroll through the blogosphere soon became one of the most ambitious ventures we’ve ever seen; Aayushi Bangur’s Styledrv has come a long and fashionable way since its humble origins. A style-bible for every fashion-lover, Styldrv is easily one of the premier fashion blogs in the country.

– Shunali Shroff’s blog is light, entertaining and can be read by anyone. She writes about topics like dating, marriage, random events that taught her something and can certainly be of use to her readers as well, while making them chortle-through it all.

– Very few bloggers can match Kiran Manral’s witticisms and style. Along with special nick names designated to all of her family members, there is very little that doesn’t fit the bill in terms of quality content. Random musings, reviews and interviews pepper this blog, and Manral never stints on adding a dash of her personal style to it.

– DearCinema is your one-stop destination for everything that screams ‘Cinema’. From articulate reviews and in-depth interviews to the various film festivals that are happening across the globe, this is a cinema-lover’s very own online bible.

– Deeba Rajpal’s Passionate About Baking is an absolute delight to both the expert and novice. Following the ‘Food from scratch’ mantra, the blog serves as an homage to cooking. With recipes as compelling these, one cannot help but get out the apron!

P.S: A special shout-out to the photographs that serve as the perfect accompaniment, resulting in some serious salivating; this is food porn at its very best.

– A one-man initiative by angry young man Ravinar, Media Crooks is the much needed media watchdog – aiming to bring forth information based on facts, reality and logic instead of showcasing events to support parties or earn some greens. A must read for all those interested in what really happens behind the carefully showcased news programmes in our country.

Hello, Indians! Are you sitting comfortably in your sofas sipping cutting chai served to you by your obeisant wife while your daughters burn their fingers in the kitchen cooking and your sons play cricket in the yard? Then this post is dedicated to you, who know nothing of the word ‘feminism.’

No, feminism is not allowing your daughters to study till they receive their degree and then instructing them to wait for a rishta to appear around the corner. It is allowing them to do what they want with their lives, (gasp!) remain unmarried if they choose to, (nahin!) and work (breaks bangles in horror.) Not treating women like dirt isn’t the aim; it’s treating them as equals. This is all very new and different for you, I understand, especially since we’ve spent years burning our women on their husbands’ funeral pyres and killing them for birthing girls, but maybe it’s time to open your eyes to some of the subtler signs of patriarchal attitudes in and around you, like these:

#5: Women at the workplace should wear suits and pants.

Yes, women need to wear masculine attire to be taken seriously when at the job. Attire has always defined how much you work. Those naked slaves in Egypt could only just build the Pyramids, after all. Wake up and smell the roses; work isn’t a man’s job, and working women don’t need to wear their clothes to be considered worthy of a pay cheque.

#4: Men don’t need to know how to cook:

Yes, this holds true because women are like collapsible restaurants; pack them on holiday and then open them up when you need them for a full three course meal. And they’re always around anyway, (especially since the sex ratio is so even in our country,) so why take the trouble to learn a skill necessary for survival?

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#3: You don’t believe in gay rights:

Homosexuality is unnatural, abhorrent and certainly isn’t part of our Indian culture. Imagine what would happen if men started marrying men. Who would make roti aur sabji for them every day? Or worse; if WOMEN STARTED DATING WOMEN. Who would tell them what to do, how to live their lives and how much they should work? Who would control them?

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#2: Your performance as a parent is dependent on your child’s percentage alone

Not improper sentence construction, surely?

It’s fine if your kid’s having a migraine, fighting TB or even suicidal. As long as they’re getting above 90%, you’ve been a brilliant parent so far. And ‘handling’ children is a woman’s task anyway! The happiness of your flesh and blood really doesn’t matter.

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#1: Your arsenal of abuses is limited to females and their anatomy

Think about it for a second. All yours c’s, b’s, w’s, s’s PERTAIN TO WOMEN. Why? Obviously, because women are terrible, loathsome creatures who deserve to be downtrodden and them, along with every part of them is abuse-worthy.

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So, if you still think you’re quite the feminist after reading this, send us a memo so that we can congratulate you on disillusioning yourself and your entire family.

Malice in Wonderland: Scorn for mainstream information that will shatter the image of Wonderland that we all have of the world

Over the past few months, we have witnessed uproar due to the shocking judgement passed by the Honourable Supreme Court of India a little more than a month ago. I am referring to the black day of 11th December, 2013 when in a move that shocked the nation and the world at large, a division bench headed by the now retired Justice Singhvi decided to overrule a Delhi High Court judgement that had struck down section 377B of the Indian Penal Code which reads:

“Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years and shall also be liable to fine.”

In essence, it was a section inserted to soothe the attitude of an archaic society that has long since ceased to exist in 19th century itself, in an age and time when the concepts of right and wrong were a farfetched dream for the citizens of any colonised nation. Let’s return to modern day India. Courtesy some liberal judicial interpretations of the constitutionally sanctioned Fundamental Rights, we have numerous rights (rights which are not stated explicitly in the Constitution but are more inferred,) including the right to privacy. What section 377 B means is an absolute invasion of that right. Going by the logic of the section, if two people have consensual sex against the ‘order of nature’ in a private room and someone peers through the keyhole and lodges a complaint, they’ll be arrested. The state, in its moral stride has essentially decreed that all sexual acts except consensual peno-vaginal sex between two adults is illegal.

If we are to analyze the judgment, some factors stand out. One of the reasons offered by the Supreme Court to uphold section 377 B’s constitutional validity is that it targets acts rather than people, and thus is uniformly applicable to all citizens. What they fail to recognize here is that these “acts” which they seek to criminalize are inexorably linked to the sexuality of the LGBT community, whose rights are clearly being violated by the same logic. But again, a disgusting choice of words is seen in paragraph 52 of the judgment, which reads, “In its anxiety to protect the so-called rights of LGBT persons…” The degrading of the community and its rights just because of its existence as a minority is shocking. Furthermore, the court also maintains that the insertion of the section forming the basis of harassment and blackmail only warrants for an amendment to the law by the legislature and does not make the section ultra vires. To cap it off, the judgment laid forth a political challenge of sorts when it suggested that an alternative could be an act by the legislature to delete the section in contention.

Justice Singhvi

I refuse to dwell on the ramifications that this decision will hold for the future of politics in our country. All I will say is that I am shocked; shocked and disappointed. The upholder of the nation’s fundamental rights has failed the nation. In an ironic maneuver, a judgment has turned citizens into criminals. Protest all you will, but the truth of the matter is this: at the bottom of all our hearts, we will be left with just one painful thought, and this will be the collective ideology of us all: “On 11th December 2013, the Indian Judiciary failed its duties and principles. It failed its philosophy… It failed you and me. But above all, it failed itself.

– Siddharth Gupta

]]>https://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/to-377b-or-not-to-be/feed/1Section-377-of-IPCthejalebichroniclesSection-377-of-IPC27219698Justice Singhvi12 Things they say about mehttps://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/12-things-they-say-about-me/
https://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/12-things-they-say-about-me/#respondThu, 09 Jan 2014 13:06:50 +0000http://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/?p=1110Continue reading]]>#12: My parents are cruel ogres who adopted me and I have no idea. The only people who know the truth are the entire college.

Oh, and they belch a lot, too.

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#11: I lied about my rabid dog; all those marks on my neck are just hickies. Each from different women.

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#10: My psychology professor gave me the highest marks because I’m sleeping with her, and baby am I good!

Oh, and she looks like this.

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#9: See these dark circles? No, not assignments; I was up all night to get lucky.

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#8: I actually scored 53% in my SSC, but because my father’s mother’s uncle’s wife’s brother is related to the principal, I got in.

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#7:I am applying for all the top fest positions possible and I don’t deserve any of them.

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#6: My aunt didn’t really die; I just made that up to get an extension on my physics deadline.

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#5. “I’ve definitely got some work done, since I was “flatter than an iron board” a month ago… Because hormones and puberty are imaginary concepts.

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#4: I’m a skank because I have more guy friends than girls.

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#3: I dumped him because he slept with my best friend.

P.S: My best friend is a guy.

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#2: I started my first semester mid-term because of a scandalous MMS that my ex holds onto; no,it has nothing to do with the fact that I live with my parents and my dad got transferred.

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#1: I am the root of all these rumors. Apparently, climbing up the social ladder is my only ambition in life.

– Shalina Abhale and Alaric Moras

]]>https://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/12-things-they-say-about-me/feed/0b54ff01ccfd5a36f89e7db6a33b3535cthejalebichroniclesOh, and they belch a lot, too.scumbag-steve-meme-generator-gets-a-hickey-from-a-vaccum-3d7f71Oh, and she looks like this!44430667#8giphy (25)#6#5giphy (3)Dostana#2#1When Romcoms got it Wronghttps://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/2014/01/07/when-romcoms-got-it-wrong/
https://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/2014/01/07/when-romcoms-got-it-wrong/#commentsTue, 07 Jan 2014 05:30:29 +0000http://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/?p=1045Continue reading]]>Four Chambers: A page discussing heart aches, heart throbs and so much more

Yet another Sunday, and all us girls have done is sit and watch Romedy Now, sighing with each dialogue and crying at each happy ending. Hollywood’s biggest movie genre is responsible for a lot of myths among us women folk, and it’s time someone clears them up.

Say WHAAAAAT!

Myth #1

Boys and Girls Cannot be ‘Just Friends’

The most commonly debated myth and one that fuels most rom coms today, Myth #1 states that people of the opposite gender can never be ‘just friends.’ At one point, they must fall for each other. Cue the blinds, show the cast and play the happily ever after song. Thank you, When Harry met Sally and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. But hey, Bollywood seems to be realistic in that sense at least (who would have thought!) and made “Ekk Main Aur Ek tu”.

Myth #2
The Nerd-Chick is the Prettiest

Deepika turning beautiful. Alll it took was removal of chashma.

There’s nothing a makeover, lots of eye makeup and tiny skirts won’t fix. A Cinderella Story, High School Musical and It’s a boy-girl thing exemplify how the popular girl can and will be beaten by the shy-bookish one halfway through the movie when the latter suddenly realizes the importance of looking pretty. Ever realized how EVERYONE looks prettier when they just take off those damned spectacles?

Myth #3
The Jerk is the one with the Largest Heart

Expectation…

Next time you read a whiny 13 year old complaint in an Agony Aunt column about how she “cannot seem to change my boyfriend for the better,” you can write thank you notes to the directors of 10 Things I Hate about you, who make you believe the tormentor is your Prince Charming.

Reality… *sigh*

Myth #4
Love Happens at First Sight

There are very few of us today who can tell the beating of the heart apart from the beating of other more private regions. Sparks really don’t fly when you see a person for the first time, nor can you see yourself having their babies the moment your eyes meet. But hey, if Sleepless in Seattle tells you to…

Myth#5

Opposites Attract

Once again, credits to 10 Things I Hate about you and Gone with the Wind. Sometimes people are just too different to tolerate each other, stay with each other their entire lives or you know, not kill each other. Really girls, stop listing out how perfect you two are for each other simply because you cannot stand even a single thing he does.

Myth #6
One Epiphany Fixes all

So you had one fight. And then you had one thought where you visualize your happily ever after; and you crawl back to that person realizing you’re meant to be. “Hey, I messed up and he knows I know I messed up. Everything is back to normal now.” And they lived happily ever after. Because all of us only have one fight with respective partners and once that’s resolved, all will be well forever.

Myth#7
Mr. Fix-it is on his way

As much as I love Pretty Woman, I refuse to believe that a rich, handsome millionaire, with a big heart will fall in love with a street-walker and all her life’s many crises will be resolved now. Try fixing yourself first, and you might just run into a guy who has a job other than being Mr. Fixit to random girls.

Myth #8
Everything will Work out in the end

Maybe it won’t. Or maybe it will. The one kiss that brought you together is usually just the start of a series of ups and downs that each relationship has, which may last forever. Then again, maybe not. After all, contentedly riding off into the sunset isn’t everyone’s ultimate ambition.

While decoding trends has been a cherished hobby for several years, challenging sartorial norms is a recently discovered one. This seems easily acceptable; fashion is nothing if not an easel. Hence, it was justified that the recently ignited rebellious streak in me found an appropriate outlet in my sartorial habits.

So, here they are: five trends that epitomize a sartorial rebellion!

Print On Print: A difficult trend to crack, this one has recently been explored by the best-of-the-best designers. Coupling two distinct prints together basically encompasses the technicalities of this trend. However, as fashionably forward as this might seem, print-over-print can go from glamorous to garish in a matter of seconds. While Burberry ruled the runway with its offbeat yet simplistic polka dots over stripes, Masaba’s showcase at the Wills Fashion Week-a medley of various goddess prints was nothing short of disappointing.

Dual Tone Lips: Although visually appealing, dual-toned lips aren’t for the sartorially timid. Replacing the ‘black lips’ that trended last season, the dual-toned lips are all about donning that pop of color, two rather, the right way.

Reflected Glares: Enough with the same old boring aviators it’s time to remove the reflected glares from the closet! Blues, greens, yellows…giving importance to your eye-wear can no longer take a back seat

The White-Black Dilemma: The White-Black dilemma is one known to all ‘white in the morning, black at night’. Having followed this style-thumb-rule for the longest time, it was about time my mindset underwent a change. And, it did. Whoever knew an LWD makes a bigger fashion statement than an LBD!

The New Age:The Indian Fashion scene saw traditional ensembles being spruced up to a whole new level. While Indian ethnic wear has been more or less synonymous with elaborate lehengas, Bollywood-esque chiffon saris, light Patiala salwaars, et al, designers like Payal Singhal and Nikhil Thampi bid adieu to the conventional with their avant-garde prints and awe-inspiring cuts. Jacket blouses, dhoti pants, bikini saris, colour blocked ensembles Indian ensembles with Euro-American influences are slowly taking over the wardrobes of the experimental fashionista. I must admit that these ensembles, as edgy and inciting as they are, are much of an acquired taste; replacing the heavy zardozi and intricate chikan embroidery with t-shirt saris and lipstick prints, although a leap for the traditional-lover, is one worth the risk.

Today, staying ‘on-trend’ and being ‘fashionable’ have become mutually exclusive of each other. We have become so engrossed in staying updated with the newest trends that we fail to realize that innate style gets concealed behind basic trends. Sometimes, rebelling against the norm is the only way to express our individuality. Ironically, a rebellion against these trends ends up becoming a trend in itself. Nevertheless, it is experimentation that leads to the evolution of style.

“I miss the way we used to be before… well, you know. Can we be friends again?”

Feelings, unlike people, do not die easily. They remain snooping around in old love notes, the scent of a shared jacket, favourite movies and various other places that remain hitherto unmentionable on a G-rated blog. This oh-so common statement that you will hear from your ex (and sometimes from your own lips, depending on your IQ level,) sooner or later post break up is a clear indicator of this fact. It remains up to you whether to agree to try and ‘become friends’ with your former S.O or not. Here, TJC helps you make that choice with a series of questions that will help you ascertain what you want.

1.) Did they hit you? People, stop playing the Rihanna-route.

Rihanna Acing Life.

Yes, I’m speaking to guys as well. If you’ve been in a relationship that was abusive, whether physical or psychological, you obviously can’t be ‘friends’ with them. If they hit their lovers, imagine what they’d do to you when you came late for a movie.

NOTE: Tickling is not a form of abuse, but foreplay.

Unless done with needles.

2.) Do you have your boundaries in place?

Always remember that with someone whom you used to spend more than half your day with, lines are bound to get blurry. Boundaries must be established before friendship ever begins. Know that you will never want to tread that path again (unless said ex is rich; in which case no one can blame you,) and make sure you voice it. Decide how much of them you are going to see, how often and how deep your bond can grow beforehand and never let things stray beyond that if you choose to accept said offer of companionship. Idle flirting and touching is always a no-no.

If your ex also happens to be your colleague, is part of your friend circle, or begins acting like chewing gum and turns up in unwanted corners wherever you are, start thinking about how to smoothen over the ex-factor, (excuse the pun,) and begin cultivating a relationship that is less I-want-to-murder-you-in-your-sleep and more let’s-finish-before-our-deadline. If your ex is also your boss, please close this window. There is nothing we can do for you.

4.) Can you stand the sight of them?

Stop playing the nice guy/girl role. You aren’t starring in a rom-com and there is no reason for you to be mend broken bridges. If you don’t have to see them around and don’t want to, there’s no reason why you should be friends with them.

5.) Are they hot?

Well, are they? If so, then all the more reason to say no. Getting carried away and beginning a friends with benefits fling may have worked out well enough for Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake, but that’s only because they were heartbroken, emotionally damaged and not to mention unstable maniacs and we don’t know what happened beyond the closing scene. Besides, an FWB relationship isn’t good for you; who knows where they’ve stuck their privates after you two broke up?

In the end, managing a relationship with your ex is hard work and can sometimes seem like an entirely pointless affair. Who wants to wade through all those memories? Weighing the pros and cons of a friendship with your ex is essential before you engage in a friendship with them. If you’ve paid attention, you might just land up with a pretty good buddy you won’t make the same mistake twice with and if not… well, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Dinner Date is the story of Samuel Thomas, his friends Ram and Rohit and how the trio manage to survive through the idiosyncrasies, the politics, the drama and the difficulties of life – in and out of law school, amidst law families and moot courts. Like the title suggests, the story is about a dinner date – Sam is out with Malaika, and he narrates to her his life story in one evening. She expects it to be boring, but Sam (in a manner borrowed from one of those ‘how-to-woo-a-girl’ posts from Thought Catalogue) insists it won’t. In the end, the reader realizes that Malaika is the sister of Aditi, the girl Sam wants to marry. However, since Aditi refuses to say yes to his proposal until her elder sister approves, Malaika has to sit through this date, to decide matters for herself.

What I Liked:

(Spoiler Alert)

The whole date being about the girl’s sister is the fine twist, and the only, if insufficient, saving grace. Sam’s godfather Alex is the only character with some dimension and comes across as likeable. The story is Sam’s amd you end up empathizing with the troubles he faces. Also, the moot court scenes are fun to read – after all, any argument is always interesting. And even though it doesn’t make much of an impact while reading, the author has highlighted topics like nepotism and favouritism in a matter-of-fact manner as opposed to the general ‘there is something wrong with this world’ portrayal of the common vices of government.

What I Didn’t Like:

The writing is dry and the story, average. It is ridden with clichés, cheesy scenes and failed attempts at humour. The dialogues and the conversations – while a true mirror of how one would speak in real life come off as forceful and pretentious. Here are a few examples –

In one scene, Rohit has to shout and swear at Ram Kant. He says “Ram you’re not a Kant, but a cunt.” (Good bye originality!)

Ishaan Lalit, Author

Almost all the characters lack depth. There is a godfather who dies of cancer, a couple who are having a baby after their first son is 20 something, a boss whose son is too dominating in office and a will that leaves Sam rich. Oh, and did I mention a romance with the Dean’s daughter?

What we are Left with:

An average read. This is the reason why the Indian Literary scene is looked down upon. In trying to be slick and urbane, the author stints on quality of writing and a strong plot. Nevertheless, carry it with you if you’re travelling along – it is a quick read and will delight you with its relative banality.

– Prakruti Maniar

Currently a student of mass media in her second year, Prakruti Maniar is an avid reader and wishes to major in journalism. Easy going and extremely talkative (as girls must be) she would “prefer buying books over a blanket on a cold winter day.” You can tweet nice things to her at (@tpraksm)

At times, even venom tastes sweet, but the filth in our leaders’ stinky mouths never fails to abuse, amuse and amaze us! Caution, these mouths are so badly in disrepair that even grandma’s adrak and lasoon paste would fail to cure it. We present to you Sh*t Indian Politicians say!

10.“If there is no water in the dam, how can we release it? Should we urinate into it? If there is no water to drink, even urination is not possible.”–Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra

“That’s right boys, it’s that long!”

9.“The English language has caused a great loss to the country. We are losing our language, our culture as there are hardly any people who speak Sanskrit now.”– Rajnath Singh, President of the Bharatiya Janata Party

Mr. Singh expressing his worries in English about the dearth of Sanskrit speakers in India

– Corruption? ✓
– Poverty? ✓
– English? WAIT WHAT?!

8.“I thought it was juice.”– Murli Manohar Joshi, ex-Minister of Science and Technology after drinking Ferrous Sulphate solution in a school science fair and ending up in hospital.

Reports say that after a successful recovery, Mr. Joshi quit his post as science lab-rat. Well done Mr. Joshi, governance was never your cup of tea, err…juice.

7. “……….”– Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India

“theek hain!?”

6.“The middle-class is more beauty conscious than health conscious – that is a challenge. If a mother tells her daughter to have milk, they’ll have a fight. She’ll tell her mother, “I won’t drink milk. I’ll get fat.”– Narendra Modi on Gujarat’s sensitive increase in malnutrition levels.

“Does this hat make me look fat?”

5.“BUT MOOOMMM!!!” – Rahul Gandhi

4. “Men having sex with men is not only a disease but also unnatural.”– Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister of Health and Family Welfare.

“I FEEL YA, BRAH!”

3. “You are a Maoist!”– Mamata Banerjee, CM of West Bengal, enraged by a line of rational questions shot her way by a curious student.

Mamata Banerjee pointing at birds

2.“Even today in Mumbai city, I can have a full meal at Rs.12. No no, not vada paav. So much of rice, daal sambhar and with that some vegetables are also mixed.”– Raj Babbar, Member of Parliament

Sometimes, some theories are so disastrous that if Gandhi awakened to hear any of them, he would have shot himself and therefore died again.

So next time you wonder why your wife seems in the mood tonight, put it down to all that chow mein, gentlemen!

– Achilles Rasquinha

]]>https://thejalebichronicles.wordpress.com/2013/12/24/sht-indian-politicians-say/feed/4JuicethejalebichroniclesPawarMr. Singh expressing his worries in English about the dearth of Sanskrit speakers in IndiaJuice"theek hain!?""Does this hat make me look fat?"Gandhi"I FEEL YA, BRAH!"Mamata Banerjee pointing at birdsFoodMr. Jitendar Chhatar placing an order for chow mein.